Your knowledge leaves me speechless. When I move back to Michigan I will stumble across you and some local car show and shake your hand. You certainly are living my dream and that is great.
US Pontiacs were available in Canada on speccial order. I knew someone who ordered a 61 Bonneville 4 door hardtop. Loaded except A/C. It cost more than a new Sedan de Ville.
@@robertdryburgh1457 Wow ,This 59 we are seeing had to be a big disapointment.Had to have handled horribly.My uncle had a two door like this car,389 and he loved it
@@johnchildress6717 They sold lots of them here in Canada.. Most people didn't know the difference. Catalina body on Chevrolet underpinnings never cut it with me. That's like saying Olive Garden serves authentic Italian food.
Very, very interesting video! My mom and dad had a '59 Star Chief at the same time I had a '59 Catalina. The 389's were great engines; too bad the Canadians couldn't have enjoyed that big Poncho engine and the wide-track ride. I still have a few advertising 1:24 scale models of the Pontiac wide-track that have a little slide lever on the bottom to move the tread width in and out representing the new wide-track; show-room stuff for the salesmen to demonstrate the difference to potential buyers. Thanks for the informative and entertaining videos.
Great overview of the Canadian market and review of this Pontiac. As a Canadian, we had our share of Canadian market beauties in the 1960s. Thanks for doing this! (and I'm glad that you are feeling better).
You understand EXACTLY what owning a classic product is all about. Uniqueness , character, appreciation for it’s origins and it’s part in history. Well done. I admire your content.
Your knowledge of Pontiac is impressive. My dad had a 1962 Pontiac Strato Chief wagon here in Canada. It had the Chevy 261 six with a column mounted 3 speed manual (3 on the tree) transmission. It was a better combination than a Chevy wagon as it had a heavier duty truck power train. Only a little more horsepower but more torque, so it moved the wagon around ok when hooked up to the manual transmission. Everything was slower back then anyway. If you opted for a V8, you got the small block Chev engine which was arguably a better engine than from the other divisions. Even in 1979, full size Pontiacs used the Chev 250 six as the base engine with Chevy 8’s as options. By then, the frames were all the same on full size GM cars from all divisions (repurposed from 1977 mid sized cars).
Back when I was 16 years old and just getting my license (I already owned my first car, a '62 Mercury Monterey, thanks to my loving Grandma who Bought it for me) there was a guy in school who owned a 1956 Pontiac Star Chief station wagon. I remember it well because it had a 4-speed transmission back when all other US cars had 3 except most Chevys which had the 2-speed "Slip&Slide" trannies. It also had an Earl Scheib $29.95 paint job. Earl was a shitty car painter who rarely bothered with the time wasting practices of sanding and masking. What do ya want for $30, a windshield without overspray 1971, a million years ago
The 70s started out great for US cars but ended abysmally. You wrote of PMD using Chevrolet powertrain components with the blessing of General Motors, who was subject to a 1975 class action litigation for letting them to do so. Ford and Chrysler had long been doing it.
@@tracy4good , I wonder if you are thinking about the situation in 1977 when Oldsmobile installed Chevy 350’s in their full size cars due to a shortage of Olds 350’s. Olds wanted to install the Olds 350 in their Cutlass that year as it was the last year before it was downsized. They put the Chev 350 (which was as least as good as the Olds 350 if not better) in the new Delta 88’s and customers got upset when they found out. Customers thought that somehow a Chev engine was not upscale enough for an Oldsmobile. From then on, ad literature had the disclaimer that GM cars had engines from various divisions.
That, in my opinion, was GM's undoing. Before, each GM division had it's own chassis and it's own engines, and before the mid 60s, Buick and Chevy had their own automatic transmissions. Starting in 79, the Chevy, Pontiac, small Olds, and the small Buick were all practically the same car, except, of course, for the price, and Ford, starting in 1980, did the same thing with the Mercury. It was just a retrimmed Ford. A Meteor, if you will, rather than a true Mercury.
@@tracy4good Ford and Chrysler, especially Ford, had long been producing "corporate" engines, whereas the GM divisions each had their own engine and their own chassis, and maybe even their own automatic transmission and rear end.
Thank you so much for making this excellent video. My dad bought the same car (new) in 1959. I was 7 years old then. We lived in New Brunswick then. He took the train to Oshawa & picked it up & drove it home from there. Ours was light brown. We had it for almost 10 years. My dad was a minister so he only drove it on Sundays 😉
I had two Aussie assembled 59 Pontiac Laurentians sedans(not the flat top as shown).They had the Chev chassis drivetrain as featured.A Rhd 59 Chev dash.One had just the small tail lights with red indicator flashes while the other had amber indicators in the fins but no clear reversing lights.Approx 252 were made and the first one I owned was apparently the the first one off the line.
Adam, As a Canadian who drives a Pontiac made in California by members of UAW Local 2244, I would like to thank you for this timely investigation of a Frankenstein Canuck Pontiac on the eve of Halloween. The history lesson on past trade relations between our two countries is also worthy of consideration. I would like to take the time to celebrate the highly successful Auto Pact that eventually brought an end to most exclusively Canadian models like this one. I also feel duty bound to lament NAFTA and curse the WTO, which ruled the Auto Pact illegal. Current global trade arrangements threaten the future existence of a Canadian auto manufacturing sector and could see us end up like Australia which lost its entire industry. Unlike our spineless 'leaders', I do not protest your Buy American policies, I would simply counter them with Buy Canadian policies of our own. If both sides play hardball, like we did in the good old days, we might just end up with a new Auto Pact ;-).
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN! Remember, they want to destroy the entire North American auto, steel, and tire industries so that the UAW and the United Steel Worker's Union will be destroyed. If we worked for $5.00 an hour, they would have HUGE tariffs on Asian junk. And we wouldn't be able to afford any of it.
As a just retired Canadian who grew up with these cars I want to share my Parisienne story. While living in Vancouver, BC in the late 1980s, I decided to buy my fav full size Pontiac, something from 1967. I always loved the front styling of that year, which reminded me of a "bat mobile". I found a battered 1967 Parisienne 2+2 convertible. Bought it for $550, then found a correct 327 for it ($100), and got a whole front clip for another $100. I put the required front body parts onto it, excited to see hardly any rust (I grew up in Ontario, in the Rust Belt). But a mechanical inspection showed the rear frame to be too far gone. I could have found a rust free frame from a 67 Impala from the southern US, but decided to sell it all and came out even. Restored, that 67 Canadian Parisienne 2+2 ragtop (with the Chevy chassis) would have been valued at maybe $50k (+25% in Canadian dollars ☺).
Great review and knowledge sharing, Adam. It is amazing to me how tiny the profit margin was on these cars. Glad to hear you’ve conquered your laryngitis. 😉 ~ John
I have a clear memory of my grandparents taking their US 1957 Pontiac to Banff in the early 1960s. Their fuel pump quit in Yahk BC (just a bit north of the Idaho border) and they were stuck there for days, since the only mechanic in the one-horse town was flummoxed by the US Pontiac (non-Chevrolet) 347 V8 engine's components.
That is beyond awesome! What a beautiful car, especially the interior. It's truly a work of art. And the straight six with powerglide is indestructible. That's probably the nicest one in existence.
Go look up the Canada-US Auto Pact of 1965. It was the Treaty that ended tariffs on US autos coming into Canada and Canadian Auto Parts going into the US. It opened up free trade in the auto sector and made the supply chain virtually borderless. This kept North American cars cost competitive against Euro-Japanese imports. I see a lot of 50's vintage vehicles on the My Car Story channel etc that you just never saw in Canada unless driven by American Tourists. Great presentation of the quirky Parisienne. Good work!
The Auto Pact was more managed trade, not really free trade. Manufacturers importing cars in Canada would not pay duty if they made as many cars in Canada. It allowed manufacturers to be more efficient, and eliminated the economic reason for the Cheviacs and Plodges. 20 years later, the advent of the free trade agreement did away with the principles of the Auto Pact, and have devastated the auto industry in Canada.
@@shiftfocus1 I had thought that the duties on autos & parts were down to low single digits by the end of the deal. "Right To Work" States and the addition of Mexican Mfg sites under NAFTA didn't help. So much for the Tories as masters of economic growth. Diefenbaker killed the Avro Arrow & Mulroney dealt a death blow to the Cdn Auto Sector.
Great episode, Adam! My dad's first car and our first family car was a 1961 Pontiac Strato-Chief 2-door sedan which I loved as a kid. It had an inline 6-cylinder Chevy engine. My uncle had a 1962 Pontiac Parisienne 2-door hardtop with a 283 V8.
My grandfather always drove Pontiac Bonnevilles, every couple of years he'd get a new one. He'd be impressed with your knowledge of Pontiacs!!! (I'm impressed too!!!) 👍👍
As a life-long car nut, owner of a classic 1960's GM product foer over 25 years, frequent traveler to Canada (prior to 9/11) and someone who lives close to the Canadian border, I found this video very interesting!!!
Original owner loved and cared for this car very well.If he had the lower 48 version with a 389 ac and a real wide track it would have blown his mind. 80 mph top speed is nuts for a car like this.Thanks for showing this.Had no clue these were like this.
Great history! My dad bought his first new car, a Canadian Dodge Regent in 1956. This car had the Dodge front end, but Plymouth rear fenders/"wings" and tail lights. I believe the side trim was also Plymouth! Fun!
Very interesting , thank you ! Right hand drive models of these Pontiacs and Chevrolets were exported to South Africa ( and possibly other areas of the Commonwealth ) - in both 6 cylinder and V8 form .They had replaced the U.S. assembled models after about 1956 due to unfavourable currency exchange rates . Studebaker Larks were another Canadian RHD export during the 60s , mostly with the V8 and Manual/Overdrive transmissions . During the last year or two of production these were fitted with the 283 Chevrolet V8 .
Another great video. Great information and insider numbers. Gorgeous interior and the Frankenstein moniker beautifully fits this wonderful piece of automotive history!
Adam- Glad you’re feeling better, and back behind the camera! I’ve enjoyed these videos of this bodacious broad … I’m old enough to remember being fascinated as a boy by the Canadian models that frequently were seen in Washington State. It was great to get the reasoning behind the Bonnie shrinking, and the Parisienne becoming “normal”. A friend had a great 80ish Parisienne SW, all white with the “marine planking” side vinyl, which I loved. As others have stated, your knowledge of all the intricate differences is staggering and impressive. 👌🏻 thank you.
Thank you,. What a beautiful car you have. When I was a kid my grandmother drove a 1959 Catilina blue, like yours, Just seeing that car again makes me teary eyed.
I'm in Canada and I have a '72 Catalina convertible with a Pontiac 400 engine. I got the engine rebuilt this year and was told by the shop that did the work that it was uncommon to come across one with an "American" engine. It's fun to drive and I am happy to hold onto this piece of automobile history.
Great background on the Canadian built Pontiacs, I had always felt that Pontiacs were more numerous in Canada but never really knew why. The story on the last Parisienne was also interesting. Great video!
In retrospect, the decision on the 1982 Bonneville was probably made during the second gas crunch, and I think that the B-body Catalina/Bonneville had particularly weak sales (vs. Chevy/Olds/Buick) circa 1980. In 1959 Oldsmobile, they hadn't adopted the "Delmont" name yet. Thanks for sharing a fun treasure.
Growing up in Canada I remember seeing these drive around and even at car shows. Now I don't see them driving around or at car shows. An example as fine as this should be cherished. There's plenty examples of Camaros. Covettes, Mustangs and all the fun stuff, but the bread and butter, every day mans automobile, you just don't see anymore. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Adam, for the trip down memory lane. As late teenagers, my buddy and I each had a six-cylinder sedan. Mine was a 1961 Chevy Bel-Air and his was a 1959 Pontiac Laurentian. One day we decided to have a drag race to see who had the faster car. i pulled ahead of him off the line but he caught up to me and passed me at about the 45 MPH mark. I likely got the initial jump bacause of my lighter weight Chev but his larger 261 overtook my 235 shortly thereafter. A lot of fun, but those were different times. I'm 75 now and have slowed down a bit, though I still like to let my hemi Ram loose on occasion. lol
In 1963 no one in Parry Sound, Ontario saw a 389 cu in engine in a Pontiac Catalina until my Dads car needed service up there. The Canadian version had the 283 Chevy engine. Now I know it was about the import duties. Thank you for the interesting video.
Thanks for lots of great info here. I had @ least 6 from the 1960-66 Pontiacs (all bought used in the late sixties for less than $500 each) including a 65 Parisienne Custom Sport 327 V8, 4 speed, bucket seats & Factory Tach. I can’t even imagine it’s value today.Very cool cars!
What a great video,and a great car. I really enjoy you sharing your knowledge with us. I really like how you preserve all the documentation on your cars. What a lucky find on that paper work from GM.
What a gem, that car is in such amazing condition! I was born in Oshawa and spent some of my childhood just down the road from the GM factories. Went with my uncle one time to truck a load of cars to Quebec in the seventies. I knew that we had model names in Canada that the U.S. did not have but I learned so much more in this video! Greetings from Toronto and your newest subscriber!
Excellent report. As a Canadian I always wondered what if any differences their were between the two and now we know! Never realized there was a Parisienne available in the U.S., always thought it purely a Canadian nameplate. Interesting about them being built on a chev chassis. Thanks for posting!
I drove a 1967 Parisienne 2+2 convertible in 1978, badly rotted, I had to have the frame changed, I used a 1966 Caprice frame. 283 with 3x2s, TH350 and 3.36 posi... my friend had a near twin, his got a 409 TH400... I tryed to contact you in August when I drove my 1991 Lebaron 5 speed convertible from NE NY to Ypsilanti, 1000 mile drive at 36+ mpg. Yup, 3.0 mitsubishi always get 35+. CORVAIRWILD here...
Great job on the video! The '59 Pontiac is one of my favorite full size cars. It was great looking and the original wide track (at least in the states!). My dad had a black '59 Catalina in the states that looked very much like your car because he had Bonneville emblems installed on the rear fenders to dress it up. It was the first car I remember us owning and it always makes me feel good to see one on the road. Yours is a keeper!
Great video ! My parents owned a 84 Pontiac Parisienne wagon back in the day and it was really roomy and comfortable . I miss the old Pontiac she never let us down .
Great car and very informative for this Canuck. I learned to drive on my dads lap at age 10 or 11 in a 1968 Mercury Montcalm with a 390 ci, it was light green... I'll look for your video
So glad you are better. I really am amazed at your wealth of knowledge. I’ve been a Canadian car guy all my life and these were the every day cars we saw every day. I always liked the flat top roofs. Looking forward to your Meteor segment.
Such a great example of American/Canadian automotive exuberance! I really do wonder how it drives. Also, what is that black metal pipe sticking out of lower engine block, just forward of the distributor?
Another Canadian hybrid that I remember from childhood trips to Canada in the mid-sixties were what we used to call “Val-Arts.” These were Plymouth Valiants with Dodge Dart rear fenders & trunk lids grafted on to them. Very strange looking to American eyes!
Larry McSorley: The 63/64 Valiant here used the Dodge Dart body shell from the cowl back. The wheelbase was longer. In 65, Canada got the Dodge Dart, so our Valiant shrank to match the American Valiant. Sales of Valiant suffered because the Dart suddenly seemed to offer a great deal more car for the $35 upcharge. Many families only had one car, and the extra space of the Dart made it a much better buy. I have seen some 65/66 Valiants, but the Dart was more popular. That state of affairs lasted all the way through 73. In 74, Valiant again moved to share the body shell with the Dart sedan. Valiant 2 door sedan was discontinued. The Valiant Scamp 2 door hardtop already shared the 2 door hardtop body of the Dart Swinger. Also, Dodge Dart Demon and Dodge Dart Sport used the shorter Plymouth wheelbase found under the Plymouth Valiant Duster.
Wow, that is some wonderful detail information on the Canadian dealer network and products from the early days. Thank you for sharing that wealth of automotive Canadian history. Your videos brings back a lot of great memories as a kid growing up in Toronto and going to the dealerships looking at these cars you have on your channel. So awesome!
A lot of Canadian cars were sold in Australia. They were built right hand drive in Canada and sent to Australia. This was done because Canada, being a commonwealth country, attracted less import duties. They're quite rare too.
back in the 60s my aunt had an Acadian Beaumont. when I went to driving School in 67 I learned how to drive with a 67 meteor Rideau. that was a nice big full size car.
My grandfather bought a brand new '59 Star Chief coupe when he retired; copper, inside and out. Many years later, it passed to my uncle, who promptly sold it. The whole family was LIVID about it. We still are, obviously. Any one of us would have gladly bettered his price and cherished that piece of Pop Barnes's history. He was amazing! RIP.
One of the best car channels on YT, a lot of details and deep informations/impressions of the cars you record. Speaking of frankestein cars, think you should see the Ford Galaxies they made in Brazil, using the 1966 US model from 1967 all the way until 1983, selling pretty well (in brazilian conditions at the time ) in some years. Ford used the Y-block as only engine option (272 until 1969 and them the 292) produced for its trucks on those Galaxies/LTD/LTD Landaus until 1975, before the major body update which brought the Windsor 302, which happened to be the only ethanol V8 produced there from 1980 to 1983! Greetings from Brazil :)
Very interesting, here in New Zealand we got these Canadian oddities, being a Commonwealth country but in righthand drive. 61 to 64 Chevrolets here all carried rh drive 61 Pontiac dashes. We got Ponty Laurentians with 283 Chevy drive trains and the "Plodge " Canadian Chrysler products too.
LeWrenchin? Never heard of that model. I guess I need to Google it. The profit margins you shared are narrow. I had an account with a credit Union here in Maryland as a kid in the 70’s that paid 7.5%! My Pops has a 261 inch 6 that he bought as a replacement for the 235 for his ‘54 5 window. I remember Pop explaining to me about some type of valve rotation mechanism. Gorgeous car brother! Keep them original and thank you so much for sharing your baby and your love for the automobile
Beautiful car! Fascinating price history -cool that you could save that. And a wild distributor! Day more on the back story on the car when you can. Love you’re able to live out your passion, seems you got that from your Dad.
That trade agreement was called the AUTOPACT. If a manufacturer produced a certain % of cars in Canada, there would be no import duties on autos from the USA....great video ...THANKS.
In the 70’s I saw a full size Pontiac that on one side said Bonneville and the other side of the car said Parisienne. I also saw a Grand Prix that had different color body moldings on the right vs left. Both were on dealer lots. Great QC
In the spring of 1979, I went on a tour of the Oshawa Ontario assembly plant where full size Chevrolets and Pontiac’s were built. Parisiennes and Bonnevilles were built on the same line. They were the same car with different name plates for different markets. Workers likely put the wrong emblem on one side of the car. It was cool to see the family car being built as my dad had just bought a new Caprice a few months earlier.
💙🍁A very well presented version of history of the Pontiac Line. The differences between the U S and Canada is noticeable. An original is only original once .. your decision to leave it be is worthy of respect. Quite the car. Much respect ✊
Adam, Thanks for the info on this car. I never knew much about the Canadian cars. The book that was thrown away is awesome, lots of interesting info. Back in the day when someone was driving a straight 6 in their Pontiac or Chevy caprice or pick up, I used to roll my eyes however they were the simplest and most reliable engines GM ever made. My friends Chevy pickup had 500k miles on it and was never touched. This Pontiac interior is beautiful. I see your Cadillac Seville or STS out front and was curious if it’s the north star or the 4.9. I had both but the northstar was a 96 and problematic. I hope you include the Caddy in one of your reviews, it’s a pretty car and a great color.
My grandma had a 1964 4 door white sedan Pontiac Laurentian with a 230 CID 6 cyl with 2 speed powerglide. We lived close to Niagara Falls and one Saturday we went shopping on the U.S, side in October 1963. The car was brand new. When we popped into a gas station in Niagara Falls NY to top up the tank the attendant opened the hood to check the oil. He came to the window with a concerned look and said to my grandma, what kind of car is this? That must have been a rookie as so many Canadians popped across the border with similar cars.
Thanks for the fleshed out explanation of the Canadian badges. i remember seeing these when I went to camp in upstate NY and then on a trip to Canada in the late 60s. It never occurred to me that these were different cars - I thought they were simply renamed cars to appeal to a French-Canadian market. It makes sense that tax and import laws were behind this. One might tend to think of the border provinces as simply 4 or 5 additional US consumer markets, and they are not.
In western Canada, there were few if any independent Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, or Cadillac dealerships. It was Chev-Olds, of Pontiac-Buick. In Edmonton, Alberta one of the Chev-Olds, and one of the Pontiac-Buick dealerships, also were Cadillac dealers.
I remember cars from this era from my early years. It was aways exciting when the new models came out each year. The differences in a given model year over year could often be quite a change. Then came the GTO, the Mustang and a slew of others. Cadillacs, Lincolns and Chryslers were amazing. And Thunderbird up through the ‘66 model year was gorgeous and very sexy. Jaguar was sexy too but as troublesome as a spoiled starlet. We used to sit and watch them go by dreaming about how it would be to own one some day. Those were the days!
The Pontiac Parisienne was also marketed in Australia until 1968 in right hand drive. It featured a 283 Chevy V-8 and the dashboard was a 1964-1968 Chevy dash. By using the same motor and dash as the 1964 Impala for several years it saved a lot on importation, development and assembly. Sometimes the Chevy 454 was installed in other GM products.
I've been interested in the Canadian Pontiacs ever since a friend of mine in HS had one of the 80s Parisienne. I'm so glad that you're covering this car and the history of these models and the brand in Canada. Honestly, I think this Frankenstein is really awesome! GM was doing some smart work back in this era, not just building good cars, but in how they ran the business. Also, looking over the car, I sota wonder if those double rear fins were done intentionally to mimic the look of fletching at the back of an arrow. Awesome job saving that pricing book, information like that is so fascinating and it's sad how much of that was just chunked in the trash over the years. While the cars themselves may be revered and remembered, so much of the contextual history is lost over time. Keeping the history alive, at least in my opinion, is every bit as important as the cars themselves. If possible, I'd love to see a comparison between this and a US-spec '59 Catalina and Impala. While engines would be different, I wonder if there was much suspension tuning differences.
I think that there was a treaty called the "Auto Pact" that came about in the mid 60s which somewhat eased trade between the USA and Canada. I believe that Canadian plants had to produce one car for every car sold in Canada. As a result, US built product could be imported duty free while allowing surplus Canadian cars to be sold in the USA duty free. From that deal, Canadian plants could enjoy operation with greater economies of scale.
I worked for 11 years at a US relay point for Canadian built cars. The Canadian car haulers could bring them across to the relay point (one mile from the border) but American car haulers had to deliver them in the US. My particular relay point was built in 1973.
Pontiac made a big mistake obviously when they cancelled the B-body cars. What I never understood though was why they apparently got rid of all the tooling for the bodies and instrument panel so quickly. The Parisienne was stuck using the less attractive Caprice dash and front/rear ends and was clearly a rebadged Chevy.
It would have been very easy for GM to have revived the Pontiac face, but they were too lazy. After all, bumpers and sheet metal were already the same. The difference was on the header panel only, and that was fibreglass. They would not even have had to do any crash tests as the sheet metal would not have changed. The rear of the Parisienne sedan did revert back to the rear treatment of the 80/81 Bonneville. Should have been very easy to bring back the Pontiac dash, too, as the only difference was the fascia.
Australia also received Canadian Pontiacs for a similar reason.... Vehicles from British Empire countries pad a different import taxation duty than cars from other countries.
We have a Canadian 1952 Pontiac Fleetleader Deluxe in Seamist Green built in Oshawa. Original and unrestored. No rust. Spent 35 + years in a basement! Its underpinnings are a Chevy Bel Air. At 70,000 miles it is having a complete power train overhaul this winter. But runs today like a champ and looks excellent if you ignore the blue smoke mixed with a tough of anti-freeze ❗Cheers 🇨🇦
00:12:59 My inner three-year-old was all rage when prompted for my attention on a format that already somewhat gaziant in nature... your austere call was warranted because how could you let that "Charm Point" go unnoticed, excellent!
Wonderful video of the (rediculous) differences between the US CDN models. Having those MI tags, im figuring you worked GM Windsor. I should correct you on the miles/klms changes. 1976 the metric system lobbed its way in, (as I was 12 and remember well) making all the 1977 models the first year for klms. My 1977 New Yorker Brougham is in klms. That Pontiac runs extremely well, and the dumpster dive was well worth it!! Cheers!!
We had a 59 Pontiac Laurentian 4 dr Hardtop. Similar to yours but with less trim. Had the 261 and powerglide combination as well. Car was off white with a brown top.
They are a fantastic car to drive. I had one that was handed-down through the family since it was new…white body with the salmon colored roof. It still had the factory plastic covering on the seats until approx. 1986 when another family member took the plastic off to clean the fading fabric. It always felt like it was floating more like a boat, than driving like a car…smooth as butter at 100 km/h. It was bought by my great- grandfather in small-town Manitoba. He ordered the car “factory deleted radio”, so there was no radio in the dash, only a matching rolled metal plate that matched the rest of the face of the dashboard, because “The radio causes too much distraction while driving” (or so the story goes). When i wasn’t able to keep the car on the road anymore, I gave it to my niece to use for her high school shop car project. She rebuilt the engine, repaired rusted frame bits and the suspension. I haven’t had a chance to go for a drive in it since, but i can imagine it still floats like a dream.
Hello. Fantastic video. I know there is a number of canadian Pontiacs here in Sweden. Special cars. I aslo know that here they assembled so called Plodges in the 50’s. We, for example, got one called the Dodge Kingsway. Counterpart to the Dodge Viscount for 1959.
My favorites were the 2+2 convertibles, a neighbor of ours way back when had a beautiful pearl white 2+2 Catalina, what a treat to be taken for a spin as a kid , good times👍
Thank you for a great video. What a find to come across that profit loss and price study. Absolutely a saved video to watch again and share. Now a subscriber to your channel.
And don't forget all those Canadian built Chevrolet's in the late 70's that were supposed to have been sold to Iraq but the war between Iraq and Iran shut that down. The cars all had 3 speed transmissions and were very basic. I guess they thought no Iraqi mechanic would be able to repair an automatic transmission. I believe there were a few thousand made (?) and then were sold domestically. My cousin's husband bought one. It was actually quite popular and they sold out fast.
In 1969 my first car was the 1959 Pontiac Laurentian. Even with the big six, it was a lot of metal to move. As a teenager, I did appreciate the largest back seat on the planet. Sold it to a friend in 1971 who drove it for 3 more years before he entered it in a demolition derby where it met it's demise. After the race, a scraper paid him $50 over the going scrap price because the big six was still running strong.
Your knowledge leaves me speechless. When I move back to Michigan I will stumble across you and some local car show and shake your hand. You certainly are living my dream and that is great.
Ha! Thx!
US Pontiacs were available in Canada on speccial order. I knew someone who ordered a 61 Bonneville 4 door hardtop.
Loaded except A/C. It cost more than a new Sedan de Ville.
@@robertdryburgh1457 Yes, there would have been a substantial tariff added to the price of a US cars in the pre- Auto Pact days.
@@robertdryburgh1457 Wow ,This 59 we are seeing had to be a big disapointment.Had to have handled horribly.My uncle had a two door like this car,389 and he loved it
@@johnchildress6717 They sold lots of them here in Canada.. Most people didn't know the difference. Catalina body on Chevrolet underpinnings never cut it with me. That's like saying Olive Garden serves authentic Italian food.
That interior!!! Holy Cow!!! Also learned much about the differences between the Canadian and US car market! You have a great channel here!
Please keep these coming. I enjoy your presentations immensely.
Very, very interesting video! My mom and dad had a '59 Star Chief at the same time I had a '59 Catalina. The 389's were great engines; too bad the Canadians couldn't have enjoyed that big Poncho engine and the wide-track ride. I still have a few advertising 1:24 scale models of the Pontiac wide-track that have a little slide lever on the bottom to move the tread width in and out representing the new wide-track; show-room stuff for the salesmen to demonstrate the difference to potential buyers. Thanks for the informative and entertaining videos.
Great overview of the Canadian market and review of this Pontiac.
As a Canadian, we had our share of Canadian market beauties in the 1960s.
Thanks for doing this! (and I'm glad that you are feeling better).
Ive got a 1960 pontiac stratochief 2 door post, beautiful car
@@swiftbarker Very nice!
You understand EXACTLY what owning a classic product is all about. Uniqueness , character, appreciation for it’s origins and it’s part in history. Well done. I admire your content.
Thx!
Your knowledge of Pontiac is impressive. My dad had a 1962 Pontiac Strato Chief wagon here in Canada. It had the Chevy 261 six with a column mounted 3 speed manual (3 on the tree) transmission. It was a better combination than a Chevy wagon as it had a heavier duty truck power train. Only a little more horsepower but more torque, so it moved the wagon around ok when hooked up to the manual transmission. Everything was slower back then anyway. If you opted for a V8, you got the small block Chev engine which was arguably a better engine than from the other divisions.
Even in 1979, full size Pontiacs used the Chev 250 six as the base engine with Chevy 8’s as options. By then, the frames were all the same on full size GM cars from all divisions (repurposed from 1977 mid sized cars).
Back when I was 16 years old and just getting my license (I already owned my first car, a '62 Mercury Monterey, thanks to my loving Grandma who Bought it for me) there was a guy in school who owned a 1956 Pontiac Star Chief station wagon. I remember it well because it had a 4-speed transmission back when all other US cars had 3 except most Chevys which had the 2-speed "Slip&Slide" trannies. It also had an Earl Scheib $29.95 paint job. Earl was a shitty car painter who rarely bothered with the time wasting practices of sanding and masking. What do ya want for $30, a windshield without overspray
1971, a million years ago
The 70s started out great for US cars but ended abysmally. You wrote of PMD using Chevrolet powertrain components with the blessing of General Motors, who was subject to a 1975 class action litigation for letting them to do so. Ford and Chrysler had long been doing it.
@@tracy4good , I wonder if you are thinking about the situation in 1977 when Oldsmobile installed Chevy 350’s in their full size cars due to a shortage of Olds 350’s. Olds wanted to install the Olds 350 in their Cutlass that year as it was the last year before it was downsized. They put the Chev 350 (which was as least as good as the Olds 350 if not better) in the new Delta 88’s and customers got upset when they found out. Customers thought that somehow a Chev engine was not upscale enough for an Oldsmobile. From then on, ad literature had the disclaimer that GM cars had engines from various divisions.
That, in my opinion, was GM's undoing. Before, each GM division had it's own chassis and it's own engines, and before the mid 60s, Buick and Chevy had their own automatic transmissions. Starting in 79, the Chevy, Pontiac, small Olds, and the small Buick were all practically the same car, except, of course, for the price, and Ford, starting in 1980, did the same thing with the Mercury. It was just a retrimmed Ford. A Meteor, if you will, rather than a true Mercury.
@@tracy4good Ford and Chrysler, especially Ford, had long been producing "corporate" engines, whereas the GM divisions each had their own engine and their own chassis, and maybe even their own automatic transmission and rear end.
Thank you so much for making this excellent video. My dad bought the same car (new) in 1959. I was 7 years old then. We lived in New Brunswick then. He took the train to Oshawa & picked it up & drove it home from there. Ours was light brown. We had it for almost 10 years. My dad was a minister so he only drove it on Sundays 😉
Great review. Interesting background and economic issues that GM came around to meet Canadian regulations. Well done.
I had two Aussie assembled 59 Pontiac Laurentians sedans(not the flat top as shown).They had the Chev chassis drivetrain as featured.A Rhd 59 Chev dash.One had just the small tail lights with red indicator flashes while the other had amber indicators in the fins but no clear reversing lights.Approx 252 were made and the first one I owned was apparently the the first one off the line.
Back in the days when Australia had its own car industry, manufacturing and assembling cars......
Interesting, I thought they were all Canadian built imports, but I haven't seen a Parisienne or a Laurentian since the 1980s.
Adam, As a Canadian who drives a Pontiac made in California by members of UAW Local 2244, I would like to thank you for this timely investigation of a Frankenstein Canuck Pontiac on the eve of Halloween. The history lesson on past trade relations between our two countries is also worthy of consideration. I would like to take the time to celebrate the highly successful Auto Pact that eventually brought an end to most exclusively Canadian models like this one. I also feel duty bound to lament NAFTA and curse the WTO, which ruled the Auto Pact illegal. Current global trade arrangements threaten the future existence of a Canadian auto manufacturing sector and could see us end up like Australia which lost its entire industry. Unlike our spineless 'leaders', I do not protest your Buy American policies, I would simply counter them with Buy Canadian policies of our own. If both sides play hardball, like we did in the good old days, we might just end up with a new Auto Pact ;-).
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN! Remember, they want to destroy the entire North American auto, steel, and tire industries so that the UAW and the United Steel Worker's Union will be destroyed. If we worked for $5.00 an hour, they would have HUGE tariffs on Asian junk. And we wouldn't be able to afford any of it.
What is happening in Australia is stunning snd sad.
@@cjb8010 Yes, a proud, hundred year history of an auto industry supplying their own country was 'WTOed' to death .
well said
Canada never really had a car industry. It’s American
As a just retired Canadian who grew up with these cars I want to share my Parisienne story. While living in Vancouver, BC in the late 1980s, I decided to buy my fav full size Pontiac, something from 1967. I always loved the front styling of that year, which reminded me of a "bat mobile". I found a battered 1967 Parisienne 2+2 convertible. Bought it for $550, then found a correct 327 for it ($100), and got a whole front clip for another $100. I put the required front body parts onto it, excited to see hardly any rust (I grew up in Ontario, in the Rust Belt). But a mechanical inspection showed the rear frame to be too far gone. I could have found a rust free frame from a 67 Impala from the southern US, but decided to sell it all and came out even. Restored, that 67 Canadian Parisienne 2+2 ragtop (with the Chevy chassis) would have been valued at maybe $50k (+25% in Canadian dollars ☺).
Great review and knowledge sharing, Adam. It is amazing to me how tiny the profit margin was on these cars. Glad to hear you’ve conquered your laryngitis. 😉 ~ John
I have a clear memory of my grandparents taking their US 1957 Pontiac to Banff in the early 1960s. Their fuel pump quit in Yahk BC (just a bit north of the Idaho border) and they were stuck there for days, since the only mechanic in the one-horse town was flummoxed by the US Pontiac (non-Chevrolet) 347 V8 engine's components.
That is beyond awesome! What a beautiful car, especially the interior. It's truly a work of art. And the straight six with powerglide is indestructible. That's probably the nicest one in existence.
Go look up the Canada-US Auto Pact of 1965. It was the Treaty that ended tariffs on US autos coming into Canada and Canadian Auto Parts going into the US. It opened up free trade in the auto sector and made the supply chain virtually borderless. This kept North American cars cost competitive against Euro-Japanese imports. I see a lot of 50's vintage vehicles on the My Car Story channel etc that you just never saw in Canada unless driven by American Tourists. Great presentation of the quirky Parisienne. Good work!
The Auto Pact was more managed trade, not really free trade. Manufacturers importing cars in Canada would not pay duty if they made as many cars in Canada. It allowed manufacturers to be more efficient, and eliminated the economic reason for the Cheviacs and Plodges.
20 years later, the advent of the free trade agreement did away with the principles of the Auto Pact, and have devastated the auto industry in Canada.
@@shiftfocus1 I had thought that the duties on autos & parts were down to low single digits by the end of the deal. "Right To Work" States and the addition of Mexican Mfg sites under NAFTA didn't help. So much for the Tories as masters of economic growth. Diefenbaker killed the Avro Arrow & Mulroney dealt a death blow to the Cdn Auto Sector.
Would love to see a video on your Meteor Montcalm.
Great episode, Adam! My dad's first car and our first family car was a 1961 Pontiac Strato-Chief 2-door sedan which I loved as a kid. It had an inline 6-cylinder Chevy engine. My uncle had a 1962 Pontiac Parisienne 2-door hardtop with a 283 V8.
Thanks for featuring this car. Dennis Gage on My Classic Car is the only other channel that features Canadian vehicles sometimes. Thanks again.
My grandfather always drove Pontiac Bonnevilles, every couple of years he'd get a new one. He'd be impressed with your knowledge of Pontiacs!!! (I'm impressed too!!!) 👍👍
As a life-long car nut, owner of a classic 1960's GM product foer over 25 years, frequent traveler to Canada (prior to 9/11) and someone who lives close to the Canadian border, I found this video very interesting!!!
Thanks.
I also been watching “Cold War Motors”
My main education of Canadian cars.
Great review of the Parisian.
Original owner loved and cared for this car very well.If he had the lower 48 version with a 389 ac and a real wide track it would have blown his mind. 80 mph top speed is nuts for a car like this.Thanks for showing this.Had no clue these were like this.
Nice car! I remember these models when we would go to Windsor! Your passion for cars shines through! Keep up the good work!😉
Great history! My dad bought his first new car, a Canadian Dodge Regent in 1956. This car had the Dodge front end, but Plymouth rear fenders/"wings" and tail lights. I believe the side trim was also Plymouth! Fun!
Very interesting , thank you !
Right hand drive models of these Pontiacs and Chevrolets were exported to South Africa ( and possibly other areas of the Commonwealth ) - in both 6 cylinder and V8 form .They had replaced the U.S. assembled models after about 1956 due to unfavourable currency exchange rates . Studebaker Larks were another Canadian RHD export during the 60s , mostly with the V8 and Manual/Overdrive transmissions . During the last year or two of production these were fitted with the 283 Chevrolet V8 .
Another great video. Great information and insider numbers. Gorgeous interior and the Frankenstein moniker beautifully fits this wonderful piece of automotive history!
"Chevriac" was our rather snooty Canadian nickname for this blend. Also "Plodge" as a Plymouth-Dodge knocked together. YES original and not perfect!
Don,t forget the Meteord
and aldo the Mernarch
I never heard those nicknames used on the prairies. Maybe I was too young (I'm a 1957 model Canadian).
Plodge! LOL
Adam-
Glad you’re feeling better, and back behind the camera!
I’ve enjoyed these videos of this bodacious broad … I’m old enough to remember being fascinated as a boy by the Canadian models that frequently were seen in Washington State. It was great to get the reasoning behind the Bonnie shrinking, and the Parisienne becoming “normal”. A friend had a great 80ish Parisienne SW, all white with the “marine planking” side vinyl, which I loved.
As others have stated, your knowledge of all the intricate differences is staggering and impressive. 👌🏻 thank you.
Thank you,. What a beautiful car you have. When I was a kid my grandmother drove a 1959 Catilina blue, like yours, Just seeing that car again makes me teary eyed.
I don't know if your intention is for your viewers to tear up at the end of your videos. Allow me to assume so. One of my top channels.
I'm in Canada and I have a '72 Catalina convertible with a Pontiac 400 engine. I got the engine rebuilt this year and was told by the shop that did the work that it was uncommon to come across one with an "American" engine. It's fun to drive and I am happy to hold onto this piece of automobile history.
Great background on the Canadian built Pontiacs, I had always felt that Pontiacs were more numerous in Canada but never really knew why. The story on the last Parisienne was also interesting. Great video!
In retrospect, the decision on the 1982 Bonneville was probably made during the second gas crunch, and I think that the B-body Catalina/Bonneville had particularly weak sales (vs. Chevy/Olds/Buick) circa 1980.
In 1959 Oldsmobile, they hadn't adopted the "Delmont" name yet.
Thanks for sharing a fun treasure.
Just 88, Super 88, and 98.
Growing up in Canada I remember seeing these drive around and even at car shows. Now I don't see them driving around or at car shows. An example as fine as this should be cherished. There's plenty examples of Camaros. Covettes, Mustangs and all the fun stuff, but the bread and butter, every day mans automobile, you just don't see anymore. Thanks for sharing!
All there is now is Datsuns, Toyotas, Mazdas, and other crap like that.
Thanks, Adam, for the trip down memory lane. As late teenagers, my buddy and I each had a six-cylinder sedan. Mine was a 1961 Chevy Bel-Air and his was a 1959 Pontiac Laurentian.
One day we decided to have a drag race to see who had the faster car. i pulled ahead of him off the line but he caught up to me and passed me at about the 45 MPH mark. I likely got the initial jump bacause of my lighter weight Chev but his larger 261 overtook my 235 shortly thereafter. A lot of fun, but those were different times. I'm 75 now and have slowed down a bit, though I still like to let my hemi Ram loose on occasion. lol
As a Canadian, I approve of this message.
In 1963 no one in Parry Sound, Ontario saw a 389 cu in engine in a Pontiac Catalina until my Dads car needed service up there. The Canadian version had the 283 Chevy engine. Now I know it was about the import duties. Thank you for the interesting video.
Thanks for lots of great info here. I had @ least 6 from the 1960-66 Pontiacs (all bought used in the late sixties for less than $500 each) including a 65 Parisienne Custom Sport
327 V8, 4 speed, bucket seats & Factory Tach. I can’t even imagine it’s value today.Very cool cars!
Again, I love the mid century charm of your street. Seeing the cars in your driveway is like looking at an old family photo.
What a great video,and a great car. I really enjoy you sharing your knowledge with us. I really like how you preserve all the documentation on your cars. What a lucky find on that paper work from GM.
What a gem, that car is in such amazing condition! I was born in Oshawa and spent some of my childhood just down the road from the GM factories.
Went with my uncle one time to truck a load of cars to Quebec in the seventies. I knew that we had model names in Canada that the U.S. did not have but I learned so much more in this video! Greetings from Toronto and your newest subscriber!
Thx and welcome!
Excellent report. As a Canadian I always wondered what if any differences their were between the two and now we know! Never realized there was a Parisienne available in the U.S., always thought it purely a Canadian nameplate. Interesting about them being built on a chev chassis. Thanks for posting!
I drove a 1967 Parisienne 2+2 convertible in 1978, badly rotted, I had to have the frame changed, I used a 1966 Caprice frame. 283 with 3x2s, TH350 and 3.36 posi... my friend had a near twin, his got a 409 TH400... I tryed to contact you in August when I drove my 1991 Lebaron 5 speed convertible from NE NY to Ypsilanti, 1000 mile drive at 36+ mpg. Yup, 3.0 mitsubishi always get 35+. CORVAIRWILD here...
Sorry I missed you. Been travelling a lot for business. Thx for thinking of me
Great job on the video! The '59 Pontiac is one of my favorite full size cars. It was great looking and the original wide track (at least in the states!). My dad had a black '59 Catalina in the states that looked very much like your car because he had Bonneville emblems installed on the rear fenders to dress it up. It was the first car I remember us owning and it always makes me feel good to see one on the road. Yours is a keeper!
Great video ! My parents owned a 84 Pontiac Parisienne wagon back in the day and it was really roomy and comfortable . I miss the old Pontiac she never let us down .
Great car and very informative for this Canuck. I learned to drive on my dads lap at age 10 or 11 in a 1968 Mercury Montcalm with a 390 ci, it was light green... I'll look for your video
So glad you are better. I really am amazed at your wealth of knowledge. I’ve been a Canadian car guy all my life and these were the every day cars we saw every day. I always liked the flat top roofs.
Looking forward to your Meteor segment.
Such a great example of American/Canadian automotive exuberance! I really do wonder how it drives. Also, what is that black metal pipe sticking out of lower engine block, just forward of the distributor?
That’s where the blowby exhausts. No PCV.
@@RareClassicCars It's called a road draft tube.
The crankcase vent tube. No PCV valve then.
Another Canadian hybrid that I remember from childhood trips to Canada in the mid-sixties were what we used to call “Val-Arts.” These were Plymouth Valiants with Dodge Dart rear fenders & trunk lids grafted on to them. Very strange looking to American eyes!
I am the proud co owner of a 64. Pontiac Parisienne Safari with a 283 V8 and 2spd automatic. I live in New York
Larry McSorley: The 63/64 Valiant here used the Dodge Dart body shell from the cowl back. The wheelbase was longer. In 65, Canada got the Dodge Dart, so our Valiant shrank to match the American Valiant. Sales of Valiant suffered because the Dart suddenly seemed to offer a great deal more car for the $35 upcharge. Many families only had one car, and the extra space of the Dart made it a much better buy. I have seen some 65/66 Valiants, but the Dart was more popular. That state of affairs lasted all the way through 73. In 74, Valiant again moved to share the body shell with the Dart sedan. Valiant 2 door sedan was discontinued. The Valiant Scamp 2 door hardtop already shared the 2 door hardtop body of the Dart Swinger. Also, Dodge Dart Demon and Dodge Dart Sport used the shorter Plymouth wheelbase found under the Plymouth Valiant Duster.
the one that creates visual dissonance for me is the 1959 Dodge Viscount, Dodge front clip, with Plymouth tailfins.
Wow, that is some wonderful detail information on the Canadian dealer network and products from the early days. Thank you for sharing that wealth of automotive Canadian history. Your videos brings back a lot of great memories as a kid growing up in Toronto and going to the dealerships looking at these cars you have on your channel. So awesome!
A lot of Canadian cars were sold in Australia. They were built right hand drive in Canada and sent to Australia. This was done because Canada, being a commonwealth country, attracted less import duties. They're quite rare too.
back in the 60s my aunt had an Acadian Beaumont. when I went to driving School in 67 I learned how to drive with a 67 meteor Rideau. that was a nice big full size car.
I,m glad you mentioned this.I was trying to remember this name.I saw one at auction.Looks like a Nova.
Donaldson Co. was purchased by Fram Corp in 1958 and changed its name to Fram in 1971. Bendix bought it in 1974.
My grandfather bought a brand new '59 Star Chief coupe when he retired; copper, inside and out. Many years later, it passed to my uncle, who promptly sold it. The whole family was LIVID about it. We still are, obviously. Any one of us would have gladly bettered his price and cherished that piece of Pop Barnes's history. He was amazing! RIP.
One of the best car channels on YT, a lot of details and deep informations/impressions of the cars you record.
Speaking of frankestein cars, think you should see the Ford Galaxies they made in Brazil, using the 1966 US model from 1967 all the way until 1983, selling pretty well (in brazilian conditions at the time ) in some years. Ford used the Y-block as only engine option (272 until 1969 and them the 292) produced for its trucks on those Galaxies/LTD/LTD Landaus until 1975, before the major body update which brought the Windsor 302, which happened to be the only ethanol V8 produced there from 1980 to 1983! Greetings from Brazil :)
Very interesting, here in New Zealand we got these Canadian oddities, being a Commonwealth country but in righthand drive. 61 to 64 Chevrolets here all carried rh drive 61 Pontiac dashes. We got Ponty Laurentians with 283 Chevy drive trains and the "Plodge " Canadian Chrysler products too.
LeWrenchin? Never heard of that model. I guess I need to Google it.
The profit margins you shared are narrow. I had an account with a credit Union here in Maryland as a kid in the 70’s that paid 7.5%!
My Pops has a 261 inch 6 that he bought as a replacement for the 235 for his ‘54 5 window. I remember Pop explaining to me about some type of valve rotation mechanism.
Gorgeous car brother! Keep them original and thank you so much for sharing your baby and your love for the automobile
Thanks for all the knowledge, learning so much!
Beautiful car! Fascinating price history -cool that you could save that. And a wild distributor! Day more on the back story on the car when you can. Love you’re able to live out your passion, seems you got that from your Dad.
That trade agreement was called the AUTOPACT. If a manufacturer produced a certain % of cars in Canada, there would be no import duties on autos from the USA....great video ...THANKS.
In the 70’s I saw a full size Pontiac that on one side said Bonneville and the other side of the car said Parisienne. I also saw a Grand Prix that had different color body moldings on the right vs left. Both were on dealer lots. Great QC
In the spring of 1979, I went on a tour of the Oshawa Ontario assembly plant where full size Chevrolets and Pontiac’s were built. Parisiennes and Bonnevilles were built on the same line. They were the same car with different name plates for different markets. Workers likely put the wrong emblem on one side of the car. It was cool to see the family car being built as my dad had just bought a new Caprice a few months earlier.
I really love the 4 door flattop body style. You have a beautiful car there Adam.
Beautiful car! I'm a Ford guy myself but i appreciate all old cars. You have a nice one there my friend!
💙🍁A very well presented version of history of the Pontiac Line. The differences between the U S and Canada is noticeable. An original is only original once .. your decision to leave it be is worthy of respect. Quite the car. Much respect ✊
Great channel, I enjoy every video.
Greetings from Germany
...still a beautiful car! Super-informational video, thanks!
Adam, Thanks for the info on this car. I never knew much about the Canadian cars.
The book that was thrown away is awesome, lots of interesting info. Back in the day when someone was driving a straight 6 in their Pontiac or Chevy caprice or pick up, I used to roll my eyes however they were the simplest and most reliable engines GM ever made. My friends Chevy pickup had 500k miles on it and was never touched. This Pontiac interior is beautiful. I see your Cadillac Seville or STS out front and was curious if it’s the north star or the 4.9. I had both but the northstar was a 96 and problematic. I hope you include the Caddy in one of your reviews, it’s a pretty car and a great color.
I knew about the Canadian Pontiac models but didn't know the stories behind them. I really enjoyed this video. Thanks!
the strato chef was descontinued in 1970.
My grandma had a 1964 4 door white sedan Pontiac Laurentian with a 230 CID 6 cyl with 2 speed powerglide. We lived close to Niagara Falls and one Saturday we went shopping on the U.S, side in October 1963. The car was brand new. When we popped into a gas station in Niagara Falls NY to top up the tank the attendant opened the hood to check the oil. He came to the window with a concerned look and said to my grandma, what kind of car is this? That must have been a rookie as so many Canadians popped across the border with similar cars.
The Auto Pact was signed by Canada and the U.S. in 1965.
Thanks for the fleshed out explanation of the Canadian badges. i remember seeing these when I went to camp in upstate NY and then on a trip to Canada in the late 60s. It never occurred to me that these were different cars - I thought they were simply renamed cars to appeal to a French-Canadian market. It makes sense that tax and import laws were behind this. One might tend to think of the border provinces as simply 4 or 5 additional US consumer markets, and they are not.
In western Canada, there were few if any independent Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, or Cadillac dealerships. It was Chev-Olds, of Pontiac-Buick. In Edmonton, Alberta one of the Chev-Olds, and one of the Pontiac-Buick dealerships, also were Cadillac dealers.
Thanks so much for the information! I learned quite a lot. You're the type of guy I enjoy talking to at car shows.
I remember cars from this era from my early years. It was aways exciting when the new models came out each year. The differences in a given model year over year could often be quite a change. Then came the GTO, the Mustang and a slew of others. Cadillacs, Lincolns and Chryslers were amazing. And Thunderbird up through the ‘66 model year was gorgeous and very sexy. Jaguar was sexy too but as troublesome as a spoiled starlet. We used to sit and watch them go by dreaming about how it would be to own one some day. Those were the days!
The Pontiac Parisienne was also marketed in Australia until 1968 in right hand drive. It featured a 283 Chevy V-8 and the dashboard was a 1964-1968 Chevy dash. By using the same motor and dash as the 1964 Impala for several years it saved a lot on importation, development and assembly. Sometimes the Chevy 454 was installed in other GM products.
Back in the day, my Dad owned two Parisiennes, a '59, and a '66 - both V8s. I loved 'em both.
I've been interested in the Canadian Pontiacs ever since a friend of mine in HS had one of the 80s Parisienne. I'm so glad that you're covering this car and the history of these models and the brand in Canada. Honestly, I think this Frankenstein is really awesome! GM was doing some smart work back in this era, not just building good cars, but in how they ran the business. Also, looking over the car, I sota wonder if those double rear fins were done intentionally to mimic the look of fletching at the back of an arrow. Awesome job saving that pricing book, information like that is so fascinating and it's sad how much of that was just chunked in the trash over the years. While the cars themselves may be revered and remembered, so much of the contextual history is lost over time. Keeping the history alive, at least in my opinion, is every bit as important as the cars themselves. If possible, I'd love to see a comparison between this and a US-spec '59 Catalina and Impala. While engines would be different, I wonder if there was much suspension tuning differences.
Very different. Completely different chassis and suspension setup. That said, the Chevrolet ride was excellent.
Great example of what people might want in a car at that time. I like it all original with the blemishes of time to.
I didn't see any blemishes. He never got close enough with the camera. I would be proud to drive this car around town.
I think that there was a treaty called the "Auto Pact" that came about in the mid 60s which somewhat eased trade between the USA and Canada. I believe that Canadian plants had to produce one car for every car sold in Canada. As a result, US built product could be imported duty free while allowing surplus Canadian cars to be sold in the USA duty free. From that deal, Canadian plants could enjoy operation with greater economies of scale.
I worked for 11 years at a US relay point for Canadian built cars. The Canadian car haulers could bring them across to the relay point (one mile from the border) but American car haulers had to deliver them in the US.
My particular relay point was built in 1973.
Pontiac made a big mistake obviously when they cancelled the B-body cars. What I never understood though was why they apparently got rid of all the tooling for the bodies and instrument panel so quickly. The Parisienne was stuck using the less attractive Caprice dash and front/rear ends and was clearly a rebadged Chevy.
It would have been very easy for GM to have revived the Pontiac face, but they were too lazy. After all, bumpers and sheet metal were already the same. The difference was on the header panel only, and that was fibreglass. They would not even have had to do any crash tests as the sheet metal would not have changed. The rear of the Parisienne sedan did revert back to the rear treatment of the 80/81 Bonneville. Should have been very easy to bring back the Pontiac dash, too, as the only difference was the fascia.
Australia also received Canadian Pontiacs for a similar reason.... Vehicles from British Empire countries pad a different import taxation duty than cars from other countries.
We have a Canadian 1952 Pontiac Fleetleader Deluxe in Seamist Green built in Oshawa. Original and unrestored. No rust.
Spent 35 + years in a basement! Its underpinnings are a Chevy Bel Air.
At 70,000 miles it is having a complete power train overhaul this winter. But runs today like a champ and looks excellent if you ignore the blue smoke mixed with a tough of anti-freeze ❗Cheers 🇨🇦
00:12:59 My inner three-year-old was all rage when prompted for my attention on a format that already somewhat gaziant in nature... your austere call was warranted because how could you let that "Charm Point" go unnoticed, excellent!
Very interesting and very fascinating. Keep em coming. And MAN! That car must take mear MINUTES to fix!
Wonderful video of the (rediculous) differences between the US CDN models. Having those MI tags, im figuring you worked GM Windsor. I should correct you on the miles/klms changes. 1976 the metric system lobbed its way in, (as I was 12 and remember well) making all the 1977 models the first year for klms. My 1977 New Yorker Brougham is in klms. That Pontiac runs extremely well, and the dumpster dive was well worth it!! Cheers!!
We had a 59 Pontiac Laurentian 4 dr Hardtop. Similar to yours but with less trim. Had the 261 and powerglide combination as well. Car was off white with a brown top.
They are a fantastic car to drive. I had one that was handed-down through the family since it was new…white body with the salmon colored roof. It still had the factory plastic covering on the seats until approx. 1986 when another family member took the plastic off to clean the fading fabric. It always felt like it was floating more like a boat, than driving like a car…smooth as butter at 100 km/h. It was bought by my great- grandfather in small-town Manitoba. He ordered the car “factory deleted radio”, so there was no radio in the dash, only a matching rolled metal plate that matched the rest of the face of the dashboard, because “The radio causes too much distraction while driving” (or so the story goes).
When i wasn’t able to keep the car on the road anymore, I gave it to my niece to use for her high school shop car project. She rebuilt the engine, repaired rusted frame bits and the suspension. I haven’t had a chance to go for a drive in it since, but i can imagine it still floats like a dream.
Hello. Fantastic video. I know there is a number of canadian Pontiacs here in Sweden. Special cars. I aslo know that here they assembled so called Plodges in the 50’s. We, for example, got one called the Dodge Kingsway. Counterpart to the Dodge Viscount for 1959.
Great vid. Really cool car, keep these fun videos comin I love em.
@1604: perfect shot of a '59 car with a mid-century house in the background. Like going back in time.
I have no words in my vocabulary to describe this it’s beyond me.
♥️💋
Great sample of a very special Pontiac. Thanks for sharing your info on this. Enjoy.
in the U.S. the 2+2 was from 64 to 67, in Canada the 2+2 was from 67 to 70.
That was the first 59 Pontiac I've seen with a 6 cylinder.
Won,t see one in the lower 48.It is a nice car for its age but it would be a lot better it was the real deal.
My favorites were the 2+2 convertibles, a neighbor of ours way back when had a beautiful pearl white 2+2 Catalina, what a treat to be taken for a spin as a kid , good times👍
Thank you for a great video. What a find to come across that profit loss and price study.
Absolutely a saved video to watch again and share.
Now a subscriber to your channel.
Thx John. Welcome.
Time to put the garden hose away for the winter
Reminds me of the 1977-81 Chevrolet Bel Airs that were only sold in Canada, which was a very basic version of the Impala at the time.
And don't forget all those Canadian built Chevrolet's in the late 70's that were supposed to have been sold to Iraq but the war between Iraq and Iran shut that down. The cars all had 3 speed transmissions and were very basic. I guess they thought no Iraqi mechanic would be able to repair an automatic transmission. I believe there were a few thousand made (?) and then were sold domestically. My cousin's husband bought one. It was actually quite popular and they sold out fast.
In 1969 my first car was the 1959 Pontiac Laurentian. Even with the big six, it was a lot of metal to move. As a teenager, I did appreciate the largest back seat on the planet. Sold it to a friend in 1971 who drove it for 3 more years before he entered it in a demolition derby where it met it's demise. After the race, a scraper paid him $50 over the going scrap price because the big six was still running strong.